Blog Articles

Here’s A Dictionary Definition of the word “caution”: care taken to avoid danger or mistakes; prudent forethought to minimize risk. Ahaa! Who here is using caution about what they say or write during these fraught times? Me! Absolutely. I’m treading carefully. And Yet I feel the need to take whatever small steps I can personally [Read More…]

(Please Note: this original post was written 3 days after the attacks. Now, 5 days later, we are facing a looming crisis of epic and unknown proportions in this tragic situation…) First, A Disclaimer This October NewsNotes was already planned, when two events occurred a few days ago, one on the world stage and one [Read More…]

Something About September Is it the back-to-school/work buzz that’s as familiar as fresh notebooks and crisper air? Or the arrival in Boston of some 350,000 college students for the new academic year? Not to mention the changes in traffic patterns, increased construction and congestion. Yikes! Capture That Different Feeling I’m grateful that living in a [Read More…]

This Photo Was My View a few weeks ago, relaxing in a deep Adirondack chair on the terrace outside The Clark Art Institute (fondly known as The Clark) in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Love The Outward Serenity that belies the rigorous landscape design and management underneath it all. This three-tiered reflecting pool is actually “…part of a [Read More…]

We Answer Questions all day long, right??? I’ve pretty much built my entire business on answering clients’ questions about how to communicate with more impact and success. I bet you do something similar in your work. It’s kind of like answering your personal “WHY?” question. Be Succinct These two words wrap up the whole concept [Read More…]

A Friend Is Moving and, as these things go, I now need to move the furniture that’s been stored in her attic and basement for the past decade. Since I downsized. Which has got me thinking. What Used To Be Important  no longer seems to be. I love my furniture, but I am liberating it [Read More…]

We Tend To Focus on what we’re saying when we’re in presentation mode. And we spend most of our prep time working on the verbal content. The words. The message. The analysis or update. But The Visual is also a big part of the mix. And I don’t just mean what we look like. It’s [Read More…]

How Come It’s Harder to present to a group versus to an individual? Or to a large audience versus a small one? I’ve Been Hearing This Question a lot from clients recently. Someone who feels totally at ease in a more relaxed setting (say…a fireside chat kind of interview) may freeze up with discomfort in [Read More…]

To Open… Every presentation begins anew; every interaction is a fresh start. Even at the most basic Monday morning weekly team meeting, it’s still a new day. Folks have had a good (or difficult) weekend; everyone’s starting from a different place. The very best thing you can do as the presenter is to open with [Read More…]

Local Factoid I remember the iconic NECCO (New England Confectionary Company) factory building on Mass Ave (Massachusetts Avenue for out-of-towners) in Cambridge. You couldn’t live in the area and not be aware of those sweet smells. This is where the ubiquitous little Valentine conversation hearts were first made in 1902. Don’t laugh…around 8 BILLION of [Read More…]